


the cure for the common cold

by empressearwig



Category: Psy-Changeling - Nalini Singh
Genre: Caretaking, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressearwig/pseuds/empressearwig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben takes care of Marlee when she's sick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the cure for the common cold

Ben knocked on the door to Marlee's quarters in the den. 

He tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels while he waited, because if he didn't, he'd be tempted to just open the door and let himself in. Much as he hated the rules she'd set when she finally agreed to see where things were going between them-- _mates_ , his wolf insisted--, he knew that if he didn't respect them, it would make the mating between them all the more complicated. Because Ben agreed with his wolf that a mating was exactly what this was going to be.

He could be patient while he waited for Marlee to see that too. At least for a little while.

He frowned at the still closed door. It wasn't like Marlee to be late. He knocked again and called her name. "Marlee?"

Inside her quarters, he heard a thump and then the shuffle of feet heading towards the door. When the door opened, Marlee stood in front of him, still wrapped in her blankets, her nose bright red. She tried to smile at him, failed. "I'm sick," she said, unnecessarily.

His mouth tried to twitch up into a smile, but he squashed it ruthlessly. "I can see that," he said, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek. Her skin was far too warm. "Baby, you've got a fever."

She frowned at him. "I know that," she said petulantly.

He did not grin. Or find it adorable, even if he wanted to. "Did you see Lara?"

She stared at him as if she couldn't believe he was so stupid, and then turned and walked back into her quarters, the blanket trailing behind her like a cape.

Since she hadn't told him to leave, he followed her in and closed the door behind him. "Well, did you?" he persisted. 

She coughed and climbed back into her bed. "No, Ben, I didn't go see my mother--the _healer_ \--when I realized that the monsters who call themselves my students had given me the plague." She waved her hand towards the pill bottles on the nightstand. "She gave me that."

"Did you take it?"

Marlee narrowed her eyes at him. "If I thought I could lift my arm that far, I'd throw one of these pillows at you."

That time he couldn't stop the laugh that escaped and for a moment he thought she was going to try to throw one of the pillows anyway. When he deemed it safe, he crouched down by the bed and smoothed her tangled hair back from her face. "Can I do anything?"

Marlee shook her head. "Need to sleep," she said. "I'm sorry about--"

"Just get better," he said, interrupting her. He bent forward to kiss her forehead. "You can make it up to me then."

She didn't answer, but he stayed where he was, gently stroking her hair, until he was sure she was asleep. Then he rose from his crouch, grimacing as he stretched his legs. He looked around the apartment, taking stock of the situation. 

Marlee's clothes were in a heap in front of the bathroom door, where she'd presumably left them. He picked them up and put them in the hamper, knowing the untidiness of it would bother her once she was well. He picked up scattered tissues and threw them in the trash. He checked her meager supply of food and saw nothing that would work for a sick patient. 

Hoping she'd forgive him later, Ben pocketed her keycard and set out to remedy that.

*

It was almost twelve hours later before Marlee woke back up. The first thing she noticed was that her head felt much, much clearer. The second was the wolf curled up at the foot of her bed.

She blinked, not sure it wasn't some sort of fevered hallucination, but there Ben still was.

Sleeping.

In her bed.

She reached over to turn on the bedside lamp and found a fresh box of tissues, as well as a warming thermos and mug and a note that said, "DRINK ME" in big block letters. She ignored it in favor of the bathroom, where she found none of the mess she'd left behind the night before when she'd come in sick and found instead Ben's neatly folded clothes sitting on the counter.

When she was finished making herself feel almost human again, she crept back out into the room, settling on the edge of the bed next to Ben.

"You sweetheart," she murmured, running her hands through his thick fur. "What are you trying to do to me?"

The wolf opened his eyes at the sound of her voice, regarding her sleepily. He nudged at her hands, urging her to pet him more.

Marlee obliged him.

*

In Ben's head, the start of the mating dance sounded.

The wolf smiled and went back to sleep.


End file.
